Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can You Ace This Mixed General Knowledge Quiz If We Give You Hints?

Bambi Turner

Image: Wiki Commons via Wiki Commons

About This Quiz

Plenty of people are one-hit-wonders when it comes to knowing everything about a topic. They dive into something about which they are passionate, whether it's sports, TV, history or science, and pride themselves on an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject. While such passion is admirable, the trivia master of all trades is much less common.

This quiz is for the knowledge buffs, those who love the act of learning so much that it transcends subject matter. If you know as much about the greatest moments in entertainment history as you do about WWI, then this just might be the quiz for you.

Of course, acing a quiz like this won't come easy; you'll have to think way back to the stuff you learned in school, recall classics of American literature, add in a few global brand icons and some mindless television trivia, and top it all with a touch of current events to earn a score worth bragging about to your friends.

Think you've got what it takes to breeze through these questions and show off the breadth of your knowledge? Take our quiz to prove it!

scibak/E+/Getty Images

In what year did the U.S. get its 50th state?

1859

1919

1959

1979

The U.S. gained not only its 50th​ but also its 49th state in 1959 with the addition of Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska came first, in January, followed by Hawaii in August.

NBC via youtube

Everyone loves Betty White, but do you remember which show made her famous?

"M*A*S*H*"

"The Golden Girls"

"The Brady Bunch"

"Father Knows Best"

Betty White starred as Rose Nylund on "The Golden Girls," which ran from 1985 to 1992. The series featured White, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Esetelle Getty enjoying their golden years as a makeshift family.

Doris Ulmann (1882 - 1934) via Wiki Commons

Who came up with this famous formula E=MC squared?

Albert Einstein

Louis Pasteur

Marie Curie

Alexander Graham Bell

It was Einstein who developed this famous formula, known as the mass-energy equilibrium. He also developed the theory of relativity, earning him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

NASA via Wiki Commons

In what year did Neil Armstrong take one giant leap?

1939

1969

1989

2009

Armstrong walked on the moon in July 1969. He was part of the Apollo 11 mission, with fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

Fox via youtube

Which of these is not one of Marge and Homer Simpson's children?

Bart

Lisa

Maggie

Nelson

"The Simpsons" premiered in 1989 and launched its 30th season in 2018. This beloved series focuses on Marge and Homer Simpson, who are parents to three children named Bart, Lisa, ​and Maggie.

Jean-Antoine Laurent via Wiki Commons

Which of these is Johannes Gutenberg famous for inventing?

Telephone

Television

Printing press

Telescope

In the 1400s, German Johannes Gutenberg developed movable type, leading to a successful printing press. His invention made widespread literacy possible, and helped spur everything from the Renaissance to the Scientific Revolution.

Internet Archive Book Images via Wiki Commons

What name did the southern states take during the Civil War?

Colonists

Confederacy

Union

Apache

The south became known as the Confederacy as they took on the northern Union states during the American Civil War. The bloody event ended in 1865 when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

White House/Pete Souza via Wiki Commons

In what year did the U.S. inaugurate its first black President?

1999

2004

2009

2014

Barrack Obama became the 44th President -- and the first African-American to hold the office on January 20, 2009. Before becoming president, he was a lawyer and a s​enator representing Illinois.

Universal Pictures via youtube

Which great American novel featured a narrator named Scout?

"The Great Gatsby"

"The Grapes of Wrath"

"To Kill a Mockingbird"

"Moby Dick"

"To Kill a Mockingbird" earned Harper Lee a Pulitzer Prize after it was published in 1960. Her novel of racial tensions in the 1930s south featured a narrator named Jean Finch -- also known as Scout.

Daniel Hurst Photography/Moment/Getty Images

What is the symbol for gold on the periodic table?

Gu

Gd

Au

Tn

Gold, which has atomic number 79, is represented by the symbol Au. Its shimmery metal cousin, silver, has a similar symbol -- Ag.

National Museum of the U.S. Navy via Wiki Commons

The Pearl Harbor attack took place during this war.

Vietnam

Korea

WWI

WWII

World War II endured from 1939 to 1945. While many countries were involved, the U.S. remained largely unaffected until a disastrous bombing of a U.S. military base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941.

nakhon100 via Wiki Commons

In what year did Ford introduce​ the first Mustang?

1945

1965

1985

2005

The iconic American muscle car, the Ford Mustang, came out in mid-1965. Purists call the earliest models the "64-1/2" because it came out earlier than the typical auto release for the year.

Stratol/E+/Getty Images

How many ounces are in a cup?

4

6

8

12

A cup consists of 8 liquid ounces. There are 2 cups in a pint, and 8 pints per gallon. Knowing these quick measurement swaps is useful for everything from baking to counting calories.

CBS via youtube

So, who shot J.R. on the classic show, "Dallas"?

His mom

Kristin

Dusty

Vaughn

A major cliffhanger in season three of the show, "Dallas," left fans wondering who shot J.R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman. After an unbearable off-season, fans learned it was J.R.'s own sister-in-law who pulled the trigger.

Austro-Hungarian Official Photographer via Wiki Commons

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand set off this war.

WWI

WWII

War of 1812

Civil War

The assasination of Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 was a key event that helped to set off WWI. The war pitted the Allies, which included France, England, Russia, the U.S. and Japan, against the Axis powers of Germany, Austria and the Ottoman Empire.

Loz Pycock via Wiki Commons

From which city did the Beatles originate?

London

Manchester

Liverpool

Oxford

The Fab Four hailed from Liverpool, a working-class city in northern England. Fans can still visit Liverpool today and see places like Strawberry Fields or Penny Lane.

Wiki Commons

September 11 is a somber date in U.S. history due to a terrorist attack during this year.

1991

2001

2008

2014

September 11, 2001, is a day that will forever be remembered in the U.S. On that day, a terrorist attack by al-Qaeda claimed almost 3,000 lives.

Epic/CBS via youtube

Which of these songs didn't appear on Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album?

"Black or White"

"Thriller"

"Beat It"

"Billie Jean"

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album was the best-selling album of 1983, and one of the best-selling albums of all time. In addition to the title track, it featured hits like "Beat it" and "Billie Jean" -- but "Black or White" appeared on a different album.

Adam Gault/OJO Images/Getty Images

How many centimeters are there in an inch?

1.0

2.54

4.25

7.11

Metric or imperial? It doesn't matter if you know some basic rules of switching from one to another. For instance, an inch is equal to 2.54 centimeters, and there are 30.48 centimeters in one foot.

Painted by Evert A. Duyckinck, based on a drawing by George Richmond via Wiki Commons

Which writer penned the classic, "Jane Eyre"?

Harper Lee

Jane Austen

Mark Twain

Charlotte Bronte

English writer Charlotte Bronte created the masterful classic, "Jane Eyre." Her sister Emily is famous for writing another classic novel, "Wuthering Heights."

Carl Deeg via Wiki Commons

Which amendment gave women the right to vote in the U.S.?

12th

19th

21st

26th

Just 100 years ago, women didn't have the right to elect their leaders. That all changed with the 19th amendment, which gave women in the U.S. the right to vote.

Posnov/Moment/Getty Images

This city is the capital of Australia.

Sydney

Melbourne

Canberra

Perth

The capital of Australia is probably not a city you're all that familiar with. The city of Canberra, home to 410,000 people, is located about 170 miles south of Sydney and is home to the nation's administrative headquarters.

Image Source/Image Source/Getty Images

How many bones are in the human body?

106

156

206

306

Humans are born with 270 bones, which fuses to 206 by adulthood. About half of these bones are located in the hands and feet.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

In January 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued his iconic Emancipation Proclamation. This order freed the slaves, granting more than 3.5 million people a whole new life.

Photo by Benjawan Sittidech/Moment/Getty Images

In what city is the Eiffel Tower located?

New York

Paris

London

Tokyo

At 1,063 feet tall, the Eiffel Tower soars high above the city of Paris, France. Made from iron, it was erected in 1889 to serve as the entrance to the World's Fair.

俞磊 via Wiki Commons

The Sumerian people, who lived in this modern-day country, developed the first written language.

Iraq

Egypt

Russia

Mexico

The Sumerian people developed the first written language, known as cuneiform, around 2600 BC. They lived in Mesopotamia, which is now known as Iraq.

WikiCommons

In what year did George Washington become president?

1689

1739

1789

1889

George Washington served as a General in the American Revolutionary War. He was elected the first President of the U.S. in 1789, a title he held until 1797.

FuseSchool - Global Education via youtube

Which of these is NOT one of the five Kingdoms of life?

Mammalia

Plantae

Fungi

Animalia

Biologists divide all living things into five Kingdoms. These include Prokaryotae, Protoctista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia.

chokkicx/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images

Four planes were hijacked on 9/11/01. They crashed in New York, Washington, D.C., and this state.

Florida

Pennsylvania

Montana

New Jersey

Four planes were hijacked during the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. Two were flown into the World Trade Center, one flew into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

Scott Moore 2012/Moment/Getty Images

Which city is the birthplace of Coca-Cola?

Atlanta

Boston

Charlotte

Dallas

John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in his Atlanta pharmacy in 1886. Rival Pepsi began in New Bern, North Carolina, in 1893.

Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd/DigitalVision /Getty Images

Which president is not seen on Mt. Rushmore?

Washington

Lincoln

Taft

Jefferson

Completed in 1941, Mt. Rushmore National Monument is carved into the Black Hills of South Dakota. It's adorned with the faces of four Presidents: Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer via youtube

Which actress starred in the 1939 classic, "The Wizard of Oz"?

Elizabeth Taylor

Vivian Leigh

Shirley Temple

Judy Garland

A young Judy Garland starred as Dorothy in the 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz." The film, based on the classic L. Frank Baum novel, has been remade many times since on film and stage.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines via Wiki Commons

What is Jonas Salk famous for inventing?

Computer

Polio vaccine

Pasteurization

Pagers

In 1954, Jonas Salk put his polio vaccine to the test, injecting it into millions. It was a huge success, and saved thousands of children from the horrific paralysis and death associated with the disease.

Wiki Commons via Wiki Commons

The discovery of the Rosetta Stone allowed for the translation of this language for the first time.

Ancient Greek

Latin

Cuneiform

Hieroglyphics

The Rosetta Stone was a seemingly banal document discovered in 1799. Because it contained the same information carved in three separate languages, it allowed archaeologists to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics for the first time.

Wilhelm Kotarbiński via Wiki Commons

Cleopatra died during this year.

2,600 BC

1,300 BC

30 BC

600 AD

Though she's seen as an ancient figure, Cleopatra lived from 69 to 30 BC. That means she lived closer to your own life than she did to the time that the Great Pyramid was constructed.

shutterstock

Which of these cities is the capital of Canada?

Ottawa

Montreal

Vancouver

Toronto

Though it's much smaller than Toronto, Ottawa in southern Ontario serves as Canada's capital city. Founded as Bytown in the 1820s, it was established as the capital in 1826.

ABC via youtube

Which of these was not a Brady kid?

Greg

Marsha

Ginger

Peter

"The Brady Bunch" was a happy-go-lucky family series that aired in the '70s. It told the story of a man named Brady, his lovely wife, Carol, and their six children: Greg, Marsha, Jan, Peter, Bobby and Cindy.

The World's Work via Wiki Commons

Who penned "The Great Gatsby"?

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Herman Melville

Mark Twain

John Steinbeck

F. Scott Fitzgerald released "The Great Gatsby" in 1925. This decadent tale of the '20s tells the story of a man named Jay Gatsby and the girl he will never win.

Archibald Willard via Wiki Commons

Who were the colonists fighting during the American Revolution?

France

England

Russia

Mexico

The American Revolution was a war between British colonists in the New World and the soldiers of Great Britain. It lasted from 1765 to 1783, when the colonists won their independence.

Tara Moore/DigitalVision/Getty Images

How many teeth does the average adult have?

20

26

32

46

Kids are born with 20 teeth, while a typical adult has 32. This includes the wisdom teeth, or third molars, which many people have removed these days.

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